How I eat

So I'm working black in this restuarant. That means I'm off the books, and I don't get the $2.35/hr that most waiters get in the States. Strictly tips. It's July in Miami, middle of the European season, beginning of peak hurricaine season, and therefore not very profitable in the restuarant business. Europeans are notorious for not tipping, or tipping poorly. That's why most of the restuarants on the beach automatically add 18% gratuity to the check. There is a tropical low forming for the last three days, roughly centered over Key West. And like a hurricaine, tropical storms create bands of precipitation with a counter-clockwise rotation around the center. These bands have been pummelling Miami Beach every three or four hours for the last three days.

Not only am I working black in this restuarant, but when I was "hired" the busboy was a Russian kid who told me he works seven days a week, six of them doubles, and the owners only pay for 40 hours, no matter how many you work. Just as an aside, it's curious that he get's an hourly wage, even if he's only paid for half of what he works. The reason it's interesting is that a few days ago the owners noticed he was falling asleep in the middle of the day, and they asked me if I would bus on the day shift. Seven days a week. Only temporarily, until they could get another busboy. After only working three shifts in the first week of my "employment", and experiencing having to ask my family for money so I could eat, I agreed...with the stipulation that it was only temporary, until they could hire another busser.

So today was my second day temporarily working black as a busboy. Yesterday the host and servers were scolded because we had an early breakfast rush, and I took a few tables. Today I only took one table, and only because both servers were late, and there was no one else to take the table that came in. Later in the day I asked if I was getting paid hourly to bus. "Oh no, eet ees too slow now. Later, when eet gets busier, we pay you hourly. Now only teeps". Well, the restuarant adds 18% gratuity to every check. Theoretically the waiter gets 50% of that, the rest is divided between the host, the bar, and bus, by what algorithm, I don't know. That means I get, roughly, 1/3 of 50% of 18%, or 3% of the gross sales between 8:00 and 4:00. Sounds good, right? Except it's European season, and hurricaine season, and we're probably selling abot 500 U$ in that time, so I get $15 for 8 hours of work. Enough to feed me and buy cigarettes for one day. Good thing I'm working seven days this week.

I kinda fumed about that for a minute. I said the f-word a few times, and told myself I was stupid to continue in this arrangement. I went back to the owner and asked if I could pick up a few tables durring the day. He said yes. So now, I can make my 9% on every table I take, plus any cash overtips, plus 3% of the gross sales between 4:00 and 8:00. Sweet. That should work out to 40-50 U$/day, and without having to pay rent, I should be able to live and pay the couple bills I have. Of course I will be running the whole time, but that makes the time go faster. And I have to admit that my pride says I can run circles around anyone else in that restuarant. Gotta pay attention to that...pride comes before the fall.

I've discovered that the cab of my truck is actually quite comfortable, and I can use my own pillow, instead of the airmatress, I'm getting fewer parking tickets now, and I'm meeting people who like me. Humility, hard work, and patience. Everything will always be ok. Even if sometimes everything sucks.